Various global or local communications networks (the Internet, the World Wide Web, local area networks and the like) offer a user a vast amount of information. The information includes a multitude of contextual topics, such as but not limited to, news and current affairs, maps, company information, financial information and resources, traffic information, games and entertainment related information. Users use a variety of client devices (desktop, laptop, notebook, smartphone, tablets and the like) to have access to rich content (like images, audio, video, animation, and other multimedia content from such networks).
Generally speaking, a given user can access a resource on the communications network by two principle means. The given user can access a particular resource directly, either by typing an address of the resource (typically an URL or Universal Resource Locator, such as www.webpage.com) or by clicking a link in an e-mail or in another web resource. Alternatively, the given user may conduct a search using a search engine to locate a resource of interest. The latter is particularly suitable in those circumstances, where the given user knows a topic of interest, but does not know the exact address of the resource she is interested in.
For example, the given user may be interested in viewing pictures of Britney Spears, but may not be aware of a particular resource that would present such information. Alternatively, the given user may be interested in locating the closest Starbucks coffee shop, but again may not be aware of a particular web resource to provide such location services. In these fictitious (yet practical) circumstances, the given user may run a web search using a search engine.
A typical user these days has access to a multitude of electronic devices. Or example, a user may have a personal laptop, a work laptop, a wireless electronic device (such as an iPhone or a Blackberry™ smartphone) or even several wireless electronic devices (such as a Blackberry smartphone for work and iPhone smartphone for personal use or vice versa). With this proliferation of electronic devices associated with he given user, he given user gets greater flexibility as to how to access resources over networks, be it at home, at the office or on the go. At the same time, it is possible that the given user may start a particular communication session on one electronic device and may be desirous of continuing the commutation session on a different electronic device.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,392,617 teaches techniques for state information sharing. At least one of user information and browser information is stored in a first configuration file in a first file format associated with a first browser application. A change in at least one of the user information and the browser information in the first configuration file is recognized. The changed at least one of the user information and the browser information in the first file format is converted to a second file format associated with a second browser application. A second configuration file is updated with the changed at least one of the user information and the browser information in the second file format. In response to starting the second browser application, a user and browser state is set using the user information and the browser information in the second configuration file.